Is there a programming language out there that you think is inferior for any reason, particularly if it's popular? Why do you feel about it the way you do?

</morbid curiosity>

I have an irrational, almost pathological, hatred of Java.

I Concur.
But I have those same feelings for VB.NET & ASP.NET

to bad
but I'm not arguing because I know what your points would be. I'll leave the arguing to someone more experienced in java.
I love ruby which for me takes the place of java.

Ok, I'm not sure if its just one of those internet trends to pay out VB.NET, but one must note that VB.NET can do everything C# can do. If you wish to challenge this view (not directed at you exclusively nykc), please provide evidence as to why they are different, and not claim they one or the other can do heaps more just because you say so.

In other words, your post should have really included C# nykc. VB/VB.NET were never bad languages, but looked down upon by developers in the past.

One reason I like C# over VB.Net is the source code to the C# compiler is available from Microsoft and Novell, which means I can develop apps for other OS's such as Linux - which I happen to be typing on at this moment.
At work, we use Microsoft servers however they are using C++, Very little ASP.net, Mostly CFML and JavaScript with XML & SQL for databases.
You would be amazed at what they are doing with that.
With C# the overall syntax to me makes more since, although I am more experienced with C++, and touched upon Java a little bit as well you can see the pattern develop in syntax.

I developed small apps with C#, and nothing really with VB.NET namely because I didn't care for it.
I would love to get into a drawn out discussion with you, but really I don't have the ground to stand on except for those minor points I just mentioned.

However, I would love to see a discussion over this topic.

For me it is VB and or VB.Net.
Dim this and <> that.
What the F' is that.
I side on C# where a variable is typed at the begining of its decleration in most cases.

I haven't been particularly fond of ASP.NET or COBOL. ASP seems too gimmicky for me and COBOL is just a pain in the ass if you have one thing out of place. It upchucks all over your screen.

Other than that, it is all goooooood.

How can anyone hate Java and like C#??? Isn't C# just Microsoft's sad attempt at trying to make their own Java that's not cross-platform. If you said, C or C++ is better I'd have no argument there. What would make C# better than Java???

Yeah, COBOL sucks! If you wanna go low level go all the way and do assembly!

This post has been edited by Israel: 31 Jan, 2008 - 11:00 PM

I thought the real discussion about this topic was "Bad programming languages". VB.NET is not a "bad programming language", just because it isn't exactly as multi-platform as many would like it to be, the compiler isn't open-source afaik, and your work doesn't use it.

I admit, I like C#. I came from a C background, and C# really helped me migrate into JAVA. But something about VB.NET just kept me interested. I found strict error messages really frustrating, expecially with conversions etc, but if you actually get into the nitty gritty of the VB.NET code, it uses CStr and CInt functions to do conversions when in C# it would have provoked an error message, usually regarding invalid types.

I'm sure PsychoCoder will back me up here when I say VB.NET is just as capable as C#. I hate "What programming language is better than the other" threads, because it is really the programmer's preference, and a programmer will find that a language is completely useless over time, but that is their quest.

I think all languages have their usages, it's the fault of the developers if they try to write real programs in a language that was designed to help learn programming, or do anything that is far from the language's original focus.
Anyway, I have to confess: I always get an epileptic seizure when I learn that I'll have to do something with JavaScript (however it is treated quite well with better debugging tools of late)

Languages are tools designed to function in a certain way to do a certain job. If a tool is capable of doing the job, it is by definition a "good tool." I don't believe there are any commercial languages used by more than a handful of people that could reasonably be considered "bad."

Now, personal opinion, well, COBOL is the suck. There are a number of languages I'm not fond of. There are some I'll only use when no other options are available.

In .NET, I find C# to be the best choice. I like the syntax, I believe it's Java with the benefit of hindsight. I find it a joy to program in. Others prefer VB.NET. If the Microsoft dog and pony shows I've been to are any indication, most prefer VB.NET.

I find VB syntax awkward compared to the C/Java legacy syntax models. However, I'll write a VBScript command for a server job before all others, because it hooks into COM cleaner than the JScript stuff and has explicit checking.

Tools are tools, some fit some people better than others. There's really no bad in that, just different perspective. ( Note, I still reserve the right to mock VB users from time to time. )